In the days after the Orange Bowl, Penn State’s players gathered on campus for a team meeting. At that point in January, they found out defensive coordinator Tom Allen was leaving for Clemson and that James Franklin would do his part to hire the best candidate he could.

Franklin had talked to Knowles in December 2021 shortly after defensive coordinator Brent Pry, one of his longtime assistants, left Penn State to become head coach at Virginia Tech. Knowles wound up going to Ohio State and the Lions ended up hiring Manny Diaz, who enjoyed two very successful seasons before he became head coach at Duke.

Penn State is hiring Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, per multiple reports. What will Knowles have to work with in Happy Valley?

If you were to explain this revelation out of a blueblood program to a non-CFB fan, they’ll probably think you’re joking. The post Tensions Rise for James Franklin as $10M Jim Knowles Gamble Sees New Twist Adding to Penn State's Misery appeared first on EssentiallySports.

Knowles was introduced as Penn State's defensive coordinator on Tuesday, one week after he left Ohio State to take the job.

Franklin and Knowles previously had discussed a job at Penn State. An early morning call two days after Ohio State's national championship began the process.